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Revelation
Episode 2, Season 6 of War. Enjoy! Revelation It's worth it, just to see Gorsefur's eyes glow. Now that I've gotten used to the idea of kits, or at least calmed myself down to the point where I can be excited and not catatonic, it's great to see him bouncing around like a kit himself. Of course, there are drawbacks. He wanted to start talking about names and what they would look like and all kinds of things that I hadn't even begun to think about. I thought it was the mothers who were supposed to be nervous wrecks, but apparently that's not true. The only thing we did manage to agree on was that we were going to tell the others... just not yet. Then I had this whole deep talk with myself about how I refused to be that one she-cat who suddenly starts kitting at the worst possible moment. That's about as far as I've gotten, parenting-wise. Gorsefur and I are walking in front of the others, heads bent close together. The others are hanging back, and I heard Oakclaw say something about not wanting to catch any cooties. "I'm just saying," I'm saying. "I think it would be hilarious." "We are not pretending that when you're kitting, parasites are coming out of your stomach to freak everyone out," Gorsefur patiently explains. "But it would be so fun," I pout. "It would be so immature." "Well we only have a moon and a half left to be immature!" I grumble. "Parents can still be immature," Gorsefur comforts, licking me behind the ear. "If you want, we can tell our kits that the sky is green and the grass is blue and totally mess up their lives." "Really?" I perk up a little. "No." "We almost there?" Stormflight calls up to us. A little self-consciously, I move away from Gorsefur and he looks back, sighing, "Almost." Most squads are back in Main. Waterstar just kind of died, and the deputy, Riverclaw, is going to become leader any day now. But (lucky us) we get to walk out to the middle of nowhere and make sure some FireClan cats aren't running around inside our territory. Yaaay. I can smell the border, so I know we're almost there. The scent, not always pleasant, but something I've gotten used to, suddenly turns my stomach. I grit my teeth, and force myself to keep walking, breathing through my mouth. "You okay Brookfall?" Shadowsong asks, peering at me. I nod, ears feeling hot. They're so quiet, we don't know until we're actually by the border that they're there. "Well, no FireClan cats here!" Oakclaw declares. "What do you say we-" He's cut off by a yowl, and then a mottled golden blur. Oakclaw's knocked off his paws, and the grassy clearing is suddenly transformed by the sound of hisses and howls. Gorsefur turns to me, "Get-" "I'm fighting," I tell him, gritting my teeth. Gorsefur narrows his eyes, but he has no time to respond, because a light brown tom is barreling towards him, knocking Grayleaf out of the way. I dash forward to help, slashing and breaking the tom's nose open. Grayleaf scrabbles to his paws, and weakly claws at the tom in an effort to help. "Go ahead, I've got this!" He nods and rolls out of the way as the tom slams his paw down, roaring in pain. "Brookfall-" Gorsefur calls behind me. I've seen some weird things. I've seen some really weird things. But this was the topper. As soon as Gorsefur said my name, every FireClan cat slowly paused, and looked up. After a few moments, their eyes locked onto me. I felt pinned, beneath the seven glares. "Brookfall?" the mottled gold she-cat who first attacked hissed. The other FireClan cats whispered my name like it was some kind of incantation and I felt myself getting more and more nervous. Shadowsong and Oakclaw slip to my side as protection, and I can see my own confusion mirrored in their eyes. I want to ask what's going on, but the tension in the air is so thick, I'm afraid speaking will spark it, light it on fire. The FireClan cats begin to move and Oakclaw hisses at them. They form a tight group and begin to creep back over the border. The mottled she-cat's eyes are on mine, her blue eyes like daggers of ice. "We'll be back," she promises hoarsely, before she and the FireClan squad vanish into the shadows. "So you haven't been sneaking out to assassinate top FireClan officials without us knowing?" Oakclaw asks for the fifth time. I reach out to smack him and he dodges. "Okay, no offense," Adderscar says, cluing us in that he's about to be very offensive. "But why in StarClan's name is Brookfall striking fear into them? Pretty much any of the rest of us, besides Grayleaf, are scarier in some way or another." "Hey!" I protest. Adderscar gives me a scathing stare. "You once thought a squirrel was a fox." "That was one time! It was really big!" I defend hotly. "Brookfall," Snowflight says softly. "They're going to come back for you. Whatever the reason is, that's the important thing. We have to protect you." "How do we do that?" I whisper miserably. "I mean, you saw them when they heard my name. Even if we avoid these guys, chances are FireClan wants my blood for some reason." "It must have been something recent," Adderscar deduces. "We've been fighting FireClan for moons and this is the first time this has happened." "We don't exactly go around introducing Brookfall to them either," Shadowsong points out. "This could have been coming for a while." There's a silence and I suddenly realize I'm shivering. Oakclaw presses against me. "Hey, we'll solve this, don't worry." "I just don't get it..." I say softly. And that's what bugs me the most. I'm used to people trying to kill me- but for impersonal reasons. I'm used to cats trying to kill everyone else- usually for very personal reasons. I'm just not usually the type to have enemies I guess. "Alright, well, it's almost nightfall." Gorsefur says, standing, and shaking out his fur. He looks nervous- more so than he should be, I mean. I'm about to ask him, but he starts rattling off watch orders and I don't have time to. Then, Grayleaf, Adderscar, Shadowsong, Oakclaw, Stormflight, and I are curling up as Snowflight and Gorsefur sit beneath the moon, not speaking as their eyes scan the forest. Looking for cats. Looking for cats who want to kill me. I wake up, not quite sure why. I blink, looking around blearily. I can see Oakclaw and Shadowsong's shadows against the pitch black of the night. Gorsefur breathes softly beside me and Stormflight snores on my other side. Everything's normal. So why do I feel so...on edge? In a flash, I realize why. I'm rushing for Shadowsong and Oakclaw, shouting a warning as they drop from the trees. FireClan cats. Shadowsong's yowl of surprise is cut short as she vanishes beneath a yowling she-cat. Oakclaw throws off the tom who landed on his shoulders and turns to help Shadowsong, only to be dragged back by a snarling cat. The others are behind me, waking up, but too slowly. I slash around blindly, the FireClan cats aiming for me. They're not looking to take prisoners, and I realize this as a particularly enthusiastic warrior swipes for my throat, leaving me bleeding, but still alive. I'm managing to dart away from the attacks, but they're coming swiftly and I'm getting tired. And then Stormflight and Snowflight are there too, Gorsefur leading the charge. They all hack and snarl and the FireClan cats vanish into the dark. I'm curled in on myself, shaking. Gorsefur sees the blood seeping into the moss and runs over, his eyes terrified, "Brookfall!" "I'm okay," I try to say. I have to repeat myself because my voice is shaking so much. "I'm okay." Gorsefur sits back, looking, of all things, guilty. I get to my paws, the others flocking around me nervously. "I'm okay," I say,a dozen times over before they believe me. They argue over who should stand watch and I pad over to Gorsefur. "You're sure you're-" "What's going on?" I demand. He flinches and I press on, "You know something. Tell me!" "It's dangerous," he murmurs. "Oh, wow!" Terror is making me antagonistic and I struggle to control myself. "I can't be sure, but I think I'm already in danger. So spill it." Gorsefur looks pained, but he nods. "Remember when Badgerstrike showed up?" I wince. Badgerstrike, our old commander, our old mentor and leader and hero, who betrayed us to FireClan. The last time I saw him he told me how much I'd grown. When he left the first time, I'd wanted to scream at him. The second time he left, I just wanted to cry. "He pulled me aside. He said he'd...done something. Something...not so good." "Something to do with me." Gorsefur nods. "You remember when we went to kill Firestar? The second time?" "Ye-es..." "Well, remember how weird it was?" I stretch my memory back. It seems like it's been years since then, but really it's only been a few seasons...moons. I remember Badgerstrike going in the den...coming back out, quickly. "I guess." Seeing his exasperation, I glare back. "There were kind of other things going on." Gorsefur hunches over and I dart a look at Adderscar. He's talking with the others, and even though there's a lazy smirk on his face, you can see the pain in his eyes. The pain of someone who has lost the only cat they've ever loved. "Well," Gorsefur finally says. "Badgerstrike wanted to protect us. Specifically you." He flinches at my withering glance and mutters, "It was his decision, not mine okay?" "How come everyone always tries to protect me?" I grumble, feeling a little warm glow inside of me even as I say it. "He had Firestar- Rowanfur- spread the rumor that...even though it was the squad's mission...you were the one who killed Firestar." I jerk my head up, eyes wide. "But...but I didn't. Who even did? I don't remember." Gorsefur shakes his head, "Neither do I. And Badgerstrike didn't want to talk about it." "Oh StarClan," I whisper. "That's why they want to kill me. That's why I was on that ridiculous list. Why-" "These cats might want to kill you," Gorsefur meows, curling his lip a little. "But most of FireClan is pretty terrified of you." I start laughing. The others look up and, when I just keep going until I'm breathless and crying, they pad over warily. "I told her about Badgerstrike saying she killed Firestar," Gorsefur explained. The others- even Snowflight- nod and I look up, suddenly furious. "You all knew?" They all suddenly decide the ground is the most interesting thing and I feel tears stinging my eyes, not from laughter but from pain. "You kept this from me? It's not like there's a good reason not to!" "Brookfall..." Gorsefur begins. "No!" I shout. "You know what, you all like keeping secrets? Well guess what? I'm having kits!" I spin around and stalk into the forest, my last view being Gorsefur's tortured eyes and Oakclaw keeling over in surprise. It's only when I'm out of sight of camp do I realize I'm being stupid. I just stormed away, making no care to hide my tracks or be quiet, into a forest of cats who want to kill me. Just because Gorsefur kept some stupid secret from me. It's not stupid, I tell myself. It's huge! FireClan thinks I killed their leader! WaterClan probably thinks it too! StarClan.... "Murderer." The whisper comes from the darkness and I suddenly stop. But instead of cold dread filling my veins, like ice, all I feel is fury. I look up as the mottled gold she-cat pads out of the woods, her squad trailing behind. "You must be stupid," she hisses. "Coming out here alone." Recklessly, I smirk. "If I'm stupid, what does that say about Firestar? Getting killed by a stupid, little she-cat." A light brown tom lets out a howl of fury, but the she-cat raises her tail, keeping him back. "You're coming back with us," the she-cat says grimly. "To stand trial and die for the crimes you've done FireClan." I make a show of thinking it over, than shake my head. The she-cat actually purrs, but slowly stops when she sees that I'm grinning. "What's wrong with you?" she acts, sounding equal parts disgusted and scared. "See," I drawl, stretching. "When I killed Firestar, I was a moon into the army. I was a kit. And I killed the most powerful cat in all of FireClan." "You're admitting to it!" the light brown tom whispers. Without blinking, I leap forward and pin him down, my claws prickling at his throat. His squadmates hiss and crouch. "And now," I continue pleasantly. "I'm a very angry, hormonal she-cat who's had moons to perfect her killing techniques. And you," I look at them disdainfully. "Are seven very ugly, very skinny cats who look like they need to be taught a few lessons." The she-cat stumbles back a few steps, "I-I- you ha-have to..." "I have to do what?" I'm actually pretty excited now. Being bad is fun. Is this how Shadowsong and Snowflight feel? Besides all the drama with their illicit romances and half FireClan blood. "You want me to come with you? Try to make me." The she-cat just kind of stares at me. I think, in every scenario she's imagined, this was not one she particularly bothered herself with. Seven to one is pretty clear odds, and if I wasn't insane, I would probably be halfway to FireClan now. "You want to know the best part?" I dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "He didn't even claw me once. Didn't get the chance." That's when the first cat runs. A second quickly follows. I get off of the tom and he scurried away as well. The mottled she-cat simply stares at me with icy blue eyes. A fourth runs. I tip my head and grin, "Still feeling confident?" Five. Finally, the mottled she-cat narrows her eyes and I know I've won. "We will find you," she hisses, trying to sound brave. "There's no place you can't hide, no place we won't find you." I wave my tail at her. "I won't be hiding. Come and get me whenever you feel up to it." She pelts into the forest. "You..." I turn to see Gorsefur looking at me with wide, perfect golden eyes. "You're...incredible." I suddenly feel exhausted. "Gorsefur..." "I know," he says softly. "I've betrayed your trust...I hid something huge from you. I don't blame you if you want to...I dunno. Take a break or something." I pause. This was a thing I would have taken a break over. The love of my life hiding the fact that every cat in FireClan wants my blood? Yeah, definitely worthy material. But... "StarClan," I whisper. "We're going to have kits. Gorsefur, I want to be with you forever." His eyes light up and I feel my whiskers start to twitch as I change back into my evil-Brookfall mindset. "But if you ever keep a secret from me again, I'll make you eat your ears." "StarClan you're perfect," Gorsefur touches his nose to mine, then pulls away. Far too soon, for my taste. "Also," his own whiskers are twitching now. "You gave them all quite a fright..." "Tell me about it," I purr. "Well, Oakclaw passed out. Adderscar looked like he wanted to throw up. Stormflight gave Snowflight this look and she smacked him...." I put my head on Gorsefur's shoulder as we start to walk back to camp. Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics